~*This is the Kind of Pain I Love*~

We can't play it safe anymore—there's nowhere left to run.

~*X*~

Part One: Like Lambs to the Slaughter

Arching high into the afternoon sky was the sun, its golden light blazing off of the green-blue of the Fonstone Belt that encircled the entire planet. The red cliffs that towered not far from the Kimlascan seaside city of Sheridan sprawled out across much of the barren continent, ribbed with deep valleys formed from the high walls. Small clusters of trees had braved the interior, along with an ocean-bound river, creating their natural noises of rustling and bubbling.

On a high ledge sat a boy dressed in dark clothes. A yellow mask gleamed, hiding much of his upper face from view. He looked inexorably bored, and yet at the same time, he also seemed disgusted. As if all of life itself was just repulsive to him.

Next to him, on the back of a gigantic Liger that easily stood head and shoulders over the boy, was Arietta. Her eyes were narrowed to scarlet slits, and she was hugging her grotesque stuffed animal to her chest as was the norm.

"Sync," she murmured, scanning the sky. "My monster friends say they're almost here."

"Good. I'm getting tired of waiting."

The Wild peered at the Tempest, and when he glanced up at her, he noticed that she seemed as depressed as ever. Ugh, she was so annoying…he'd not need to wear a mask around the other God-Generals if it weren't for her. Stupid Arietta and her trusting nature…as if the original Fon Master had really fired her! He was dead, and she was chasing after one of his Replicas and sitting next to another.

All without knowing. Stupid, stupid girl. If he had been a better person, he would've felt some pity.

One of her freakish bird "friends" was circling overhead, a shaggy black shadow with glinting ivory talons. It shrieked once, loud and clear, causing Sync to wince at the din. Arietta merely tilted her head to the side, listening.

He stood.

"Please remember not to hurt the Fon Master," Arietta pleaded, her Liger turning to face him. The ridge just beneath them rippled, revealing the dark pelts of crag wolves as they prowled, waiting for their mistress's orders.

Sync shrugged. "Tch."

"You can't hurt the Fon Master," she snarled suddenly, her Liger lurching forward so that its heavy breathing hit him in the face.

"You seem more alive when you're angry," he mocked. "Stop your worrying, I'll leave your precious Ion alone."

Arietta blinked at his comment, but she leaned back again and her Liger took a few paw-steps back as well. She opened her mouth to respond to his cryptic remark, but just then her bird shrieked once more. She stared skyward. Sync followed her gaze.

There it was, the Albiore, the fancy flying Fon Machine that they used to get around. The party was on its way to Sheridan, and naturally they had to pass these cliffs considering the direction they had come in. Sync smirked. They'd not be expecting this.

"Be careful," Arietta whispered, eyeing the craft worriedly.

Sync's only response was the roared out name of a Daathic Arte. A blast of energy crashed unexpectedly against the Albiore, clipping it hard in the engines. There was a sound like a fire whooshing to life, and then the Fon Machine spiraled downwards towards a patch of trees, just as Sync had predicted.

However the little woodland area was protected by a pointed ring of rocks on all sides. Swearing, certain that Van would have his head if anything happened to his precious sister, Sync barked, "What are you waiting for? Go!"

Arietta jumped, startled by his tone. She motioned sharply with a brandish of her hand towards the wreckage, and with a chorus of nightmarish howls, her pack of monsters followed her. Her Liger bounded easily to the front, his bulk dwarfing that of the crag wolves, with his pink-haired passenger riding along easily.

Sync pursed his lips, watching her as she and the monsters streamed down into the valley. Their ambush just might be a success.

A nasty thought entered his head just then, and he smiled at this. Let Arietta and her worthless pets attack the rest of them, he wanted to cause a little havoc of his own.

After all, why let her have all the fun?

The Tempest laughed aloud, scorn heavy in his tone, springing lightly down the stone precipice as if he was a mountain cat.

~*X*~

Anise had no idea what had just happened. One moment they had been flying along, just fine, and the next Noelle had been shouting that something had hit them and they were going down.

She woke up with a dreadful headache, which burned delicately against her mind. It hurt just to force her eyes open. The girl groaned and curled in on herself, reaching with blind fingers for a familiar grip on her shoulder.

Tokunaga was still there, she could feel the firm softness of his paw. Good. Her staff was still strapped to her back as well.

Glad that some things were in order at least, Anise lay there, breathing hard and trying to regain her bearings. Just then she heard a low moan, and she sat up, gritting her teeth and urging the cloud of darkness hanging around the edges of her vision to go away.

"What the hell?" She slurred, her tongue reluctant to touch down properly. The syllables sounded distorted, coming out of her mouth. When she swallowed, she tasted blood. Suddenly, with a dreadful jolt that made her heart pound, she remembered. "Ion!" Anise hopped to her feet, but all she succeeded in doing was making the cloud of darkness become an impenetrable fog. She collapsed, disoriented, onto her back. "Ow…"

"Anise? Is that you?" A female voice called wearily.

"Noelle?" The Fon Master Guardian forced herself to sit upright, reminding herself that she was a bodyguard separated from her charge and that was the worst thing ever. Well, besides the fact that she was also a spy but that was beside the point right now.

Anise at last managed to make out her surroundings. Red-brown cliff walls soared towards the sky, and already the sunlight was weaker down here in the valleys. Tough, green, veined plants clung to the walls and twined around the trees that were hunkered down to the stone. A few sparse wildflowers poked out of the hard-packed ground, and bundles of briar and thorn bristled threateningly in the most unexpected of places.

She pivoted her head and noticed Noelle, who was clinging to a scrawny trunk with both gloved hands. One of the lenses on her goggles was broken, and a scratch on her cheek bled profusely. "Are you okay?" The pilot asked, brows furrowed.

"No, but I'll live." No time for complaining. "Where's Ion? Have you seen Ion? Or anyone else?"

Noelle shook her head, and then grimaced, clearly regretting it. She pointed down the valley, where a stream of black smoke indicated the Albiore. It was mostly intact, but the murk billowing up from it didn't look good at all. "They must have fallen out."

"Oh no." Anise stood up, biting the inside of her cheek to keep herself from whimpering. She hurt in places she didn't even know could hurt. "S-Stay here, I'll go look for the others."

"Are you sure? You look like you might need to rest for—"

"There's no time! I'll be back." Anise didn't wait for a reply; she just dashed off down the canyon, following an old game trail that looked like it had seen the touch of many hooves. Every time she put her foot down, a vibration shuddered through her body, which made her head ache even more.

She took a corner and was halfway down another "road" when a familiar voice shouted, "Anise! Anise, over here!"

She skidded to a halt, all of her scrapes and bruises forgotten. "Ion! Where are you?"

"This way!"

Anise whirled around in a full circle, perplexed, until she spotted a tangle of ferns that were attempting to hide another side trail from view. She pushed the plants aside, eyes narrowed against the stuffy spores that they released. "Ion?"

It was a clearing, completely devoid of any vegetation besides that which already lined the only way out. The cliffs were even bare of any vines. The stone was flat though, promising good purchase during a fight, and she noted that there were butterflies flitting from one ray of sunshine to another. Apparently the scruffy moss was appealing to them.

"I—" She started, only to be silenced by a screaming pain that seared its way across her shoulder. She had never been in more pain than in that single moment in time. She would have sobbed in relief when it was over—though it had only taken a second—when she spotted a familiar head of green hair.

He smirked at her.

"Sync!" She snarled, releasing her agonized grip on her shoulder. Swiftly, Anise mounted Tokunaga and grinned at the exhilarating rush of power she felt. Tokunaga's Fon Technology was programmed to react to her personal Fonons, and right now they were joined almost as a single being—a puppet, and a puppeteer.

"Some Guardian you are," he sneered, not at all intimidated. "You've lost Ion already?"

"Shut up! It was you that made us crash, wasn't it?"

"Very good," he responded sardonically. Light flashed off of his golden mask. "And I'm here to take you out, since Arietta is taking care of the rest right now."

"Gloomietta is here?" Anise flinched. This wasn't good, this definitely was not good. She couldn't take Sync alone on a good day, let alone on a day where their freaking flying machine was shot out of the sky.

"Are you stupid as well as gullible? I just said that. Now…you die!" Sync dashed at her, blindingly fast, and Anise hastily sprang backwards. Tokunaga dug his paws into the ground and obeyed her whims, catapulting them a safe distance away.

Sync snarled and tried to deliver a flurry of kicks and punches, but Tokunaga raised his broad arms and blocked the blows. Anise countered by getting her stuffed animal to pound the ground as hard as he could, but the Tempest managed to avoid the blow.

Please…no more…She was exhausted, her head hurt, and damn it Arietta was off attacking Luke and the rest. She had no time for this! But she couldn't run—Sync was far faster. Was she really trapped?

"Negative Gate!" Anise commanded, causing a pool of dark energy to claw its way into existence. The sudden, spontaneous casting caught Sync off-guard, and he grunted as he was caught in the shadowy spring.

He got to his feet again, cracking his knuckles. "Not bad! How about this! Gravity Well!"

Anise hastened to get away, but the spell was one of a wide range. The enchantment quickly ensnared her, and she screamed as the rush of power stripped her of her senses for a few moments.

Sync darted close, but that was his mistake, she was still conscious enough to take a swipe at him. A supercharged punch from Tokunaga made the God-General fly backwards, but he landed on his feet. He was no longer smiling, though, his stance rigid.

"I'm done playing."

"I've only gotten started," Anise panted. Regardless she started inching towards the exit.

He noticed this, and laughed cruelly. Something about his voice rang in her ears longer than it should have. "We're through! Akashic—"

Oh no not his Mystic Arte! She'd not have a chance of surviving.

"O heavenly powers that be, bring thy judgment down upon the wicked! Divine Blaze!"

A pillar of white fire, pierced through with halo-like rings of light, shot up into the sky from an incantation circle that abruptly appeared beneath the Tempest's feet. He was completely caught unawares, as was Anise herself, and she could only stare open-mouthed as Sync careened up before landing heavily with a groan.

The voice was familiar, the one who had said the chant, but…Anise whipped around and spotted Ion on his knees near the fern patch. His V-shaped staff was clutched tight in both hands, and his face was paler than she had ever seen it.

"Ion!" She hurried towards him, momentarily forgetting all about Sync as she dismounted Tokunaga. The stuffed cat slumped over and obediently waited for her to reclaim her place. The Fon Master Guardian placed her hands on his shoulders, crouching so that they were at the same level.

His smile was wan, but his emerald eyes sparkled. "A-Anise…"

"You know you're not supposed to use Daathic Fonic Artes! Don't put yourself in danger for me!" She scolded angrily.

"I'm sorry."

The ferocity in her gaze softened. "But…Ion? Thanks."

"Aww, how touching," Sync scoffed behind her.

Anise was on Tokunaga faster than anyone could blink. She lunged at him, but Tokunaga missed, his paws leaving a small dent in the rock. Slivers of shrapnel flew everywhere from the impact.

The Tempest had back-flipped to evade the strike, and now he landed lightly on the balls of his feet. "Is that all?"

Burning with righteous indignation—she'd show that smug jerk!—Anise pounced. Sync did everything he could to dodge her, and for a while he was successful, since all of her attacks ended up just missing him. However, he also couldn't find any time to land any blows of his own.

Infuriated, Anise let out a shrill scream and distracted Sync with a speedy Negative Gate. The spell made him leap to the side—and she caught him between Tokunaga's wide front paws, like a cat would snare a mouse.

"I'll kill you, you bastard!" No one, absolutely no one, was allowed to put Ion in any danger but her. Sync was about to try an Arte of some sort, but Anise didn't let him. An untamed energy devoured her whole being. "O Ravaging Tragedy!" She delivered a devastatingly fast storm of punches. "Let's finish this! Final Fury!" An explosion of darkness, licked with tongues of light, claimed the God-General. She finished by grabbing his legs and flinging him into the farthest wall.

She was breathing heavily, Tokunaga moving just as sluggishly as she was as her tiredness began to catch up with her again. "Had enough?"

Sync got back to his feet, but she noted with some satisfaction that he was trembling. Clearly shaken up this time, the Tempest squared his shoulders. "Tch," he muttered. "I won't fight you two on one, not with him." He shot Ion an angry look as the Fon Master came up to stand beside her, all of his weight resting on his staff. Then he turned and, impossibly, scaled the cliff wall, his boots finding hidden footholds that she couldn't even believe anyone could use.

Just like that, as fast as he had come, he was gone.

Anise shrunk Tokunaga and let her toy-weapon clutch her shoulders. Then, slowly, she turned to Ion and smiled.

"That was amazing Anise," her friend told her, eyes wide.

"That? Heh, that's just what…Fon Master Guardians…" She never got to finish. The girl's eyes rolled up into her head and she collapsed on the ground in a bleeding heap.

"Anise!"